Automatic rotating mop

ABSTRACT

An automatic rotating mop includes a force applying rod and a rotating rod. The force applying rod includes an external tube and a holding element installed at an upper end of the external tube. The external tube includes a braking rod and a spiral track formed on the braking rod. The rotating rod includes an internal tube having an internal diameter smaller than the external tube for coupling the external tube, a rotating disc coupled to the internal tube, and a rotating element corresponding to the braking rod and coupled to the internal tube. When the external tube is moved vertically towards the rotating disc, the rotating element is winded along the spiral track to produce a rotation movement, and linked to the internal tube and the rotating disc to rotate jointly to remove water from the mop by a rotating force.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rotating mop, and more particularly to an automatic rotating mop that removes water from a mop cloth by a rotating force.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, a user removes dirty stains on a floor by water in a cleaning operation by a mop. However, the user needs to squeeze water out of the mop cloth of the mop by hands before mopping the floor. Not only bending down to squeeze water from the mop is required, but also wetting the user's hand. Therefore, the conventional mops are inconvenient to use.

In order to easily squeeze water from the mop without wetting the user's hands, a common rotating mop as disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. M354405 was introduced. The rotating mop comprises a main rod and a sliding handle sheathed onto the main rod, wherein the sliding handle can be moved vertically and rotated along the main rod, and a mop cloth is installed between the bottom of the sliding handle and the bottom of the main rod. When the mop cloth is squeezed to remove water, the sliding handle is moved towards a top end of the main rod to pull the mop cloth, and then the sliding handle is rotated to squeeze the mop cloth. Therefore, the user's hands will not touch the mop cloth or get wet while the mop is being squeezed. However, it is a laborious task for the user to rotate the mop, especially for housewives or the elderly who may not have sufficient strength to squeeze and dry the mop cloth.

In addition, a mop dryer with a function of positioning a mop was disclosed in R.O.C. Pat. No. M365156. The mop dryer is primarily applied to a mop with a rotating mop cloth and comprises a bucket and a rotatable dewatering device installed in the bucket and having a plurality of drainage holes. The mop dryer further comprises a step driving mechanism connected to the dewatering device, such that the mop cloth of the mop is latched at the dewatering device while the mop cloth is being dipped into water. When the driving mechanism is stepped on by a user's leg, the dewatering device drives the mop cloth to rotate and remove water from the mop cloth by a rotating force.

Therefore, users need not to put up much effort to squeeze the mop cloth. Although the invention can achieve the effort-saving effect, users have to stand on one leg and step on the driving mechanism by another leg. As a result, the users may slip on the floor easily, particularly when the floor is wet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned shortcomings, and save forces and remove water from the mop quickly to improve the safety of using the mop.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides an automatic rotating mop comprising a force applying rod and a rotating rod. The force applying rod includes an external tube and a holding element installed at a top end of the external tube. The external tube includes a braking rod and a spiral track formed on the braking rod. The rotating rod includes an internal tube with an internal diameter smaller than the external tube for coupling the external tube, a rotating disc coupled to the internal tube, and a rotating element corresponding to the braking rod and coupled to the internal tube. When the external tube is moved vertically towards the rotating disc, the rotating element is winded along the spiral track to produce a rotation movement, and linked with the internal tube and rotating disc to rotate jointly.

In the aforementioned technical solution, it is necessary to apply a force at the external tube only, such that the external tube is moved with respect to the internal tube, and the internal tube drives the rotating disc to rotate, and such operation is simple and easy, and also safe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a first cross-sectional view of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an application status of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views, showing movements of an operation of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a second cross-sectional view of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a third cross-sectional view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical contents of the invention will now be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings that show various embodiments of the invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 for an automatic rotating mop of the present invention, the automatic rotating mop comprises a force applying rod 10 and a rotating rod 40. The force applying rod 10 includes an external tube 11 and a holding element 12 installed at an upper end of the external tube 11. The external tube 11 includes a braking rod 13. The braking rod 13 includes a spiral track 131 formed thereon and an abutting element 14 installed at an upper end of the braking rod 13 and abutted against the holding element 12. The rotating rod 40 includes an internal tube 41 having an internal diameter smaller than the external tube 11 for sheathing the external tube 11, a rotating disc 42 installed at the internal tube 41, and a rotating element 30 corresponding to the braking rod 13 and coupled to the internal tube 41, wherein the internal tube 41 includes an elastic element 44 for supporting the braking rod 13, and the braking rod 13 includes a coupling portion 132 for coupling the elastic element 44, and an auxiliary rod 43 installed between the rotating disc 42 and the external tube 11 for a length extension. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotating element 30 includes a rotating base 31 disposed at an end of the internal tube 41 for passing the braking rod 13, and the rotating base 31 includes a coupling portion 311 coupled to a distal edge of the internal tube 41, a containing hole 312 for containing a driving element 32 which is moved along the spiral track 131, wherein the driving element 32 can be a steel ball, and a fixing element 35 is sheathed and fixed onto an external side of the rotating base 31 for fixing the driving element 32. In addition, the rotating element 30 further comprises a limiting element 34 installed between the internal tube 41 and the rotating base 31, and the limiting element 34 is a one-way bearing for rotating the internal tube 41 unidirectionally, and a positioning element 361 is installed between the limiting element 34 and the internal tube 41 for positioning a sheathing element 36 of the internal tube 41, and two rotation assisting elements 33, 37 are installed separately at both ends of the sheathing element 36, and the rotation assisting elements 33, 37 are planar bearings for assisting the rotation of the rotating base 31. The rotating base 31 further includes a nut 38 for fixing the rotation assisting elements 33, 37, so as to constitute the main structure of the present invention.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, a fastening element 20 is installed outside the external tube 11 for providing a fastening force to limit ascending and descending displacements of the external tube 11. The fastening element 20 includes a clamping element 21 and a force applying element 22 coupled to the clamping element 21 and having engaged/disengaged positions, such that the clamping element 21 can produce a clamping force. For example, when the mop is used for a cleaning operation, the force applying element 22 is moved downwardly i.e. towards the rotating disc 42, to the disengaged position, such that the clamping element 21 can clamp and fix the internal tube 41 and the external tube 11 to prevent them from being displaced with respect to each other during the cleaning operation. The mop of the present invention is used together with a bucket 50, and the bucket 50 includes a rotatable dewatering basket 51 with a plurality of drainage holes 52. When the mop is used, the rotating disc 42 is coupled to the dewatering basket 51, and the rotating disc 42 is rotated to drive the dewatering basket 51 to produce a rotation movement, such that a mop cloth (not shown in the figure) coupled to the rotating disc 42 can be dried by removing water by a rotating force. The drainage holes 52 are provided for discharging water into the bucket 50.

With reference FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6 and 7 for a detailed illustration of movements of an operation of the present invention, in order to remove water from the mop, the force applying element 22 is moved upwardly, i.e. towards the holding element 12, to the disengaged position, such that the clamping element 21 is loosened from the internal tube 41 and the external tube 11. Then, a force is applied at the external tube 11 to link to the internal braking rod 13 to displace towards the rotating disc 42 and compress the elastic element 44. Now, the driving element 32 drives the rotating base 31 and the fixing element 35 to move along the spiral track 131 to produce a clockwise rotation movement. Since the limiting element 34 is a one-way bearing, a rolling pole 341 inside the limiting element 34 can be rotated unidirectionally only. In this embodiment of the present invention, the rolling pole 341 can be rotated clockwise only, such that when the rotating base 31 and the fixing element 35 are rotated clockwise. The rolling pole 341 of the limiting element 34 is limited by the rotating direction of the fixing element 35 and cannot be rotated. Hence, the limiting element 34 is linked to the sheathing element 36 and the internal tube 41 and rotated clockwise, and the internal tube 41 is linked to the rotating disc 42 to produce a rotation movement (as shown in FIG. 6).

If the external tube 11 moves upwardly by a force applied, the elasticity of the elastic element 44 is provided for achieving the effort-saving effect. When the external tube 11 is linked with a braking rod 13 in the external tube 11 to move upward, and the driving element 32 drives the rotating base 31 and the fixing element 35 to move along the spiral track 131 to produce a counterclockwise rotation movement, the rolling pole 341 of the limiting element 34 is rotated clockwise by the rotating effect of the fixing element 35. Regarding the limiting element 34, it will not be rotated, and will not drive the sheathing element 36 and the internal tube 41 to rotate (as shown in FIG. 7). Since the rotating base 31 is rotated and the internal tube 41 is remained stationary, the rotation assisting element 33, 37 can be used for assisting the rotating base 31 to rotate, so as to assure a smooth rotation and prevent the coupling portion 311 of the rotating base 31 from being rubbed with a distal edge of the internal tube 41. In this preferred embodiment, the external tube 11 can be moved in one direction only, so that the internal tube 41 can drive the rotating disc 42 to rotate. In addition, the arrangement of the one-way displacement and rotation is not only limited in the present invention. Alternatively, the limiting element 34 can be omitted, and the fixing element 35 is coupled to the sheathing element 36, such that the external tube 11 can drive the rotating disc 42 to rotate, regardless of an upward displacement or a downward displacement.

In summation of the description above, the force applying rod 10 of the present invention includes an external tube 11, and the rotating rod 40 includes an internal tube 41. The external tube 11 and the internal tube 41 are installed corresponding to the braking rod 13 and the rotating element 30 respectively, and the braking rod 13 includes a spiral track 131. When the external tube 11 is displaced vertically towards the rotating disc 42, the rotating element 30 is winded along the spiral track 131 to produce a rotation movement, and the internal tube 41 and the rotating disc 42 rotate jointly. Therefore, the present invention not just achieves the effort-saving effect and removes the water from the mop quickly, but also improves the safety of using the mop.

While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims. 

1. An automatic rotating mop, comprising: a force applying rod, including an external tube and a holding element installed at an upper end of the external tube, and a braking rod installed at the external tube, and the braking rod having a spiral track thereon; a rotating rod, including an internal tube having an internal diameter smaller than the external tube and coupled to the external tube, a rotating disc coupled to the internal tube, and a rotating element corresponding to the braking rod and coupled to the internal tube, such that the external tube can be moved vertically towards the rotating disc to drive the rotating element to wind along the spiral track to produce a rotating movement and to link with the internal tube and the rotating disc to rotate jointly.
 2. The automatic rotating mop of claim 1, wherein the rotating element includes a rotating base disposed at an end of the internal tube, and a driving element installed at the rotating base and moved along the spiral track.
 3. The automatic rotating mop of claim 2, wherein the rotating base includes a containing hole for containing the driving element, and a fixing element sheathed and coupled to the external side of the rotating base for fixing the driving element.
 4. The automatic rotating mop of claim 3, wherein the driving element is a steel ball.
 5. The automatic rotating mop of claim 2, wherein the rotating element further includes a limiting element installed between the internal tube and the rotating base for rotating the internal tube unidirectionally.
 6. The automatic rotating mop of claim 5, wherein the limiting element is a one-way bearing.
 7. The automatic rotating mop of claim 5, further comprising a sheathing element installed between the limiting element and the internal tube, the sheathing element being positioned at the internal tube by a positioning element.
 8. The automatic rotating mop of claim 7, wherein the sheathing element includes a rotation assisting element separately installed at both ends of the sheathing element for assisting the rotation of the rotating base.
 9. The automatic rotating mop of claim 8, wherein the rotation assisting element is a planar bearing.
 10. The automatic rotating mop of claim 1, wherein the external tube includes a fastening element installed outside the external tube for providing a fastening force to limit ascending and descending displacements of the external tube.
 11. The automatic rotating mop of claim 10, wherein the fastening element includes a clamping element and a force applying element coupled to the clamping element and having engaged/disengaged positions, such that the clamping element can produce a fastening force.
 12. The automatic rotating mop of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary rod installed between the rotating disc and the external tube, the auxiliary rod providing for a length extension.
 13. The automatic rotating mop of claim 1, wherein the braking rod includes an abutting element for abutting against the holding element.
 14. The automatic rotating mop of claim 1, wherein the internal tube includes an elastic element for supporting the braking rod. 